The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-10-22


Hugh made one eager step forward,
then paused, and over his face came
look of such CONSERVATION and dismay
that Hal stared at him in amazement-
whats the matter?" he asked.
30, Hal, must go home; must go
home at once" answered Hugh.
when you spoke of the Toulouse l
remembered that / have a wild canary
shut up in our Toulouse at home, and
unless go back at once it will starve
to death. p"
''Let it starve, then," said Hal. "You
surely wouldn't miss all the fun to-mor-
row Just for the sake of a bird! You
can catch another, and, if you don't, it
won't be much of loss"
''But l promised mother | wouldn't
neglect it. You know l let my rabbits
.starve to death, and mother said then
| did not deserve to ever have another
pet. Unjust go back, Hal. Of course
it is hard for me to give up the fun; but
there is no help for it as far as can
see."
Il don'tsee. But there's father; let's
ask him about it," said Hal, as Mr..
Nelson appeared in the doorway of the
stable. 81 know he will say you would
be foolish to 60"
That was exactly what Mr.. Nelson
did say, and, he added, 81 will give you
what you expected to get for the bird,
Hugh, and that will make it all right,
and save you the trouble of taking it to
the fair"
That's not it, Uncle. l don't care
so much for the money, but l don't
want to let the bird die"
But l have no way of sending you
home, Hugh. l can not go to Barclay
again until Friday, and as it is twelve
miles from the railroad and three from
your fathers farm, there would be no adj
vantage in your going by rail. No, you
must give up this idea, my boy, and try
to forget it. And, after all, the life of
bird is Il very small affair and not
worth SO much worry"
Very likely it will live until Fri
day." said Hal cheerfully, land if it
don't it won't matter much, as father
says. Come on, let's set up the tar
get"
But it was with very sober face,and
tagging steps that Hugh followed his
cousin to the Toulouse to get the nee
essary nail, and he showed no enthu-
siasm when his arrow pierced the mark.
His mind was dwelling on that poor
little canary twenty miles away, and
the promise he had made regarding it.
When several of the neighborhood
boys called to see Hal and take part in
the sport, Hugh slipped away, and rum
ming into the barn, threw himself on a
pile of hay in the loft to think over his
position.
The question he had to decide was
very difficult one. He wanted so much
tn stay for the picnic and the fireworks.
1t would be TERRIBLY hard to give up all
the promised enjoyment and as his
uncle had said the life of bird was not
of much consequence, anyway, and his
mother would surely excuse him, under
all the circumstances, for breaking his
promise. And if he went home he
would anger and disappoint Hal. 1t
was a long walk, too. Twenty miles,
and the road was dusty and unshaded.
He could ROT reach home until dark,
even if he started at once. No; it was
certainly better that he should stay at
his uncle's. There was a chance, too
though very slim one-that Ralph
would go into the Toulouse and see
the bird, or that his mother would re-
member it.
Then the recollection of the rabbits
he had allowed to starve to death came
to disturb him. Would his mother ex-
cuse him for breaking his promise
when he had assured her so earnestly
that the bird should not be neglected?
No, he was sure she would not. And
she would never trust him again.
But l can't, can't 60" he NUT
tered, with Il choking sound in his
throat that was almost sob. Its
little too much to expect a fellow to
give up erery Thing
But, after all, his sense of right con-
quered. and when Hal went into the
house half an hour later, to inquire for
his cousin, he found note on the bu-
reau of the room they had occupied the
night previous, which ran as follows:
Dear Hal: Tn awful sorry; but l
think l ought to go. Don't be put out
about it..
But Hal a0as put out" and declared
over and over again that he would
never'forgive Hugh for having treated
him so shabbily, and that he would
never again ask him to pay him visit.
Perhaps he would have felt more
kindly toward his cousin had he seen
him toiling along the hot, dusty road,
weary and footsore before he had gone
ten miles. But he kept bravely on, and
at dusk was only three miles from home.
Then he was so tired it seemed to him
as if he could not walk another step,
and he sat down by the roadside, hop
ing some wagon would pass, and he
could get ride.
1t was not long before he heard the
cnunI Of har,as' hDOfS and icr,